The present invention relates to a liquid distributor and its use in connection with a rotating packed bed (RPB) for liquid/gas contact. In particular, a liquid distributor is provided which permits superior mass transfer.
High gravity reactors are known for effecting a mixing of a gas and liquid and a mass transfer between the two. High gravity field reactors typically comprise a liquid or gas inlet, a gas or liquid outlet, and an inner chamber. The inner chamber may be packed with media, such as porous fillers, which are known to the skilled persons in the field. The media may be formed of, for example, foam metal or non-metal material, metal or non-metal wire mesh, porous materials such as metal balls, glass balls, ceramic members, metal oxide, or the like.
One particular example of a high gravity field reactor is a rotating packed bed (RPB) or Higee reactor. The terms “Higee” and “RPB reactor” are generally interchangeable and refer to devices capable of generating a high gravity field to affect mass transfer between at least two liquids and/or gases. The high gravity field is the result of a centrifugal force field generated by rotation of packed beds in the RPB or Higee reactors. The phrase “high gravity field” means that liquid and/or gas reactants are introduced into the high gravity field and interact while they are moved centrifugally, or the liquid reactant is moved from the center of the RPB or Higee reactor centrifugally and the gas reactant is introduced oppositely with respect to the liquid reactant along the radial direction when the packed bed is rotating. In general, the reaction represented by the phrase “under high gravity” can be carried out in any RPB or Higee reactor or any other similar high gravity field reactor.
One specific example of a mass transfer mixing device is the high gravity field reactor disclosed in US 2007/0295662 A1. The centrifugal movement used to obtain the high gravity field can be conducted in a horizontal direction, a vertical direction, or any other arbitrary direction.
Another rotation packed bed is described in Chandra et al, “Characteristics of Flow in a Rotating Packed Bed (HIGEE) with Split Packing”, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2005, 44, pp. 4051-4060. In the rotating packed bed, the packing is split into annular rings to rotate adjacent rings in the counter direction. A specific liquid distributor is employed with regard to the split packing to permit good gas removal as well as liquid distribution. However, some sacrifice is realized in the mass transfer.
Improvements with regard to the mass transfer effected in rotating packed beds would render such reactors/contactors even more attractive to the industry. The search continues for improved mass transfer devices to allow more efficient contacting between gases and liquids.